Aftermath
by AJ Rayne
Summary: After the events of The Crossroads of Destiny, some character pieces to fill in the blanks.
1. A Powerful Bender

**A Powerful Bender**

Katara stared up at the night sky. Her hair was fanned out around her head and her hands were clasped on her stomach as she rested her head on her water bag. From a distance, she looked relaxed and at peace but it would only take one look into her ocean blue eyes to see the turbulence in her soul.

Her tears had been shed and she felt spent, hollowed out, by what had just happened. In less time than it took fill her water skin, her life had changed completely. She knew she should have been used to the dangerous and unexpected things that occurred when traveling with the Avatar, but this had completely turned her head and shaken her deeply. Too many things had changed...yet somehow stayed the same.

Maybe it was the fact that things hadn't changed that was making her so weak.

She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to center her thoughts but the exercise only succeeded in amplifying the pain on her forearm.

The burn mark.

It would be a simple enough task to heal it but she wasn't ready to do that just yet. It stung whenever the air stirred and it stung whenever she moved, but it was the only thing she could feel. Without it, she would just be numb and empty. She needed it there to remind her that she was still alive and she still had responsibilities to fulfill. In the moonlight, Katara could see the perfect imprint of Zuko's fire whip on her skin and she hoped he had one to match.

Crushing disappointment had her struggling to catch her breath. They had been alone together for little over an hour and it shouldn't have been long enough for her to make a connection with him, but she knew that there was no denying it was there. There had been a carefulness about him that hadn't been there before and he had barely been able to meet her eyes. He was...humble.

For that brief respite, she'd been able to talk to him like a person rather than the enemy and had seen the man he could be if he wasn't who he was. She had very nearly used the oasis water on his scar, the same water that had healed Aang and brought him back. It was a matter of mere seconds that could have very nearly changed the fate of the world.

As the thought passed through Katara's mind, she realized how true that statement was. If she had healed his scar, would Zuko have come over to their side? Would he have turned his anger and rage on his sister, saved Ba Sing Se and in effect, the world as well? She'd seen his face in that moment of truth, saw the flash of pain and confusion in his eyes before he turned on Aang, and her heart ached.

A wave of self-loathing had her clasping her hands tighter together and her brow furrowed ferociously. The last thing Zuko needed was her sympathy. He made his choice, just like they all did when they set out to fight the Fire nation, and he'll live or die by it. She knew that his uncle had tried to save him, to lead him down the right path but whatever drove Zuko went deeper than his uncle's love. She'd seen how he'd fought Aang, the discipline in his movements but the underlying anger as well. When that anger turned on her, she'd seen the cool calculation on his face—the same that was always on his sister's. Before all this, she never would have called Zuko a powerful bender, but after what she'd seen, she couldn't deny that he was one now.

The boy she'd talked to in the cave had stayed there and she was facing the Prince who had chased them all over the world, but this time he was wiser and stronger. Knowing who he was, having fought against his sister and seeing the ruthlessness of his father in every scorched place they passed, Katara knew she shouldn't have been surprised that he turned...but she was and it hurt.

Turning her head, she glanced at Aang and saw him sleeping peacefully in the safety of Appa's legs. He was doing better and his breathing was steady which was a relief. Every hour, she had to heal him because she was afraid of how much damage Azula had done to him. They needed to get back to the North Pole and to the Spirit Oasis because Katara was afraid that he would not heal properly without its water. He had come to save her, she knew that, and the love she'd seen in his eyes was more powerful than before.

It touched her and frightened her at the same time. When it came to the Avatar, she knew she had a responsibility to stay by his side and protect him, but her reasons were less personal than his. The world needed him to end this war and usher in peace. He had given her hope when she thought there was nothing left to have faith in. He was Aang but he was also the Avatar. She loved him but she wasn't so sure if it was the same love he felt for her. She couldn't honestly say it wasn't but something held her back.

Her burn ached and she closed her eyes.

Regardless of her feelings for Aang, Katara knew that she would die before she let anything touch him again. The world needed him and she would do what was necessary to protect him. She, too, was a powerful bender and in that battle against Azula and Zuko, she realized just how powerful she was. To protect Aang, she had dug deep inside herself, gone to places she'd been afraid to go in the past, and used her element to get them to freedom, but in doing so, something inside her had broken apart. She was different now because she had opened that door to powers she had feared, powers that needed more than the serenity that came with the graceful movements of Waterbending. She had been afraid and angry, and those emotions had given her the strength to save Aang.

Waterbenders were taught to respect their element, to move with the ebb and the flow of the tides even when bending it, but Katara knew what it felt like to make the water work for her.

To use it as a weapon and to turn what should be a life giving and life saving element into a life taker.

To make it cut and hurt and drown.

It went against her very nature to hurt people but for Aang she would. Power had its price and powerful benders had to pay it. Perhaps in that, she and Zuko were alike; they were willing to make sacrifices to see their goals to the end. He turned his back on the life he could have had and the man he could have been to be able to return to his home; she would lock away her doubts and her fears about her own powers and be as ruthless as her enemy even if it killed a part of her.

At the end of this, she knew she would have to face him again. If he stood between Aang and the Fire Lord, Katara knew she would have to stand between him and Aang. When that happened, she would be ready.

Powerful benders had to be.

-fin-


	2. Imbalance

**Imbalance**

Iroh woke with a start.

For a split second, he wondered why he wasn't in his comfortable bed in his brand new apartment before the cold reality of his situation set in. Wearily, he wiggled his fingers and toes to make sure he still could and wondered when the Dai Li would let him out of his crystal prison. He had an itch on his face that was driving him insane and he had no way of getting to it.

Blowing out a calming breath that also raised the temperature of his cell somewhat, Iroh slowly became aware that there was someone else in there with him. He could barely make out the seated figure in the corner of his eye but it didn't take a stretch of the imagination for him to guess who it was.

"Interesting choice you've made, Prince Zuko," he said conversationally, though his light tone had an edge to it. "I'm a little surprised that Princess Azula hasn't put you up in a more comfortable room or do you simply miss my company?"

Zuko didn't reply and didn't give any indication he heard anything Iroh said.

"I honestly couldn't guess at your reasons for being here because it has become clear to me that I have been of no use to you at all."

A burst of fire shot an inch past Iroh's nose but he didn't even blink.

"Do you know what it's like to lose everything, Uncle?" Zuko spat, his words tumbling out in a rush and all but told Iroh his nephew's state of mind. "All my life I've been promised the world and the moment when I was ready to take it, it was ripped from my hands. These past few months, my honor has been dangled in front of me like some sort of bait, being used to taunt me when it is rightfully mine.

"Do you know what it's like to have a father who always looked down on you and a sister who was always better than you? They both hold out the throne of the Fire Nation towards me, using it like a bargaining chip when it's mine by birthright and making me fight for it every step of the way."

"_Yours_? Is it really _yours_, Zuko?" Iroh returned. "Think about your words, my nephew, and see past your own troubles and pain. Between the two of us, who do you think has lost everything?"

That stopped Zuko's self-righteous rant. Iroh wished the Prince would move so he could look at him, but Zuko stayed where he was. Instead, Iroh turned his gaze inward, at the things that he wished he could forget, and laid them out for the boy who had made him remember them again.

"If life were fair, Zuko, I would be Fire Lord and this war would have ended long ago. My son would be preparing himself for his ascension and you would be at his side as his loyal councilor. Your father would be standing the sidelines with your sister, waiting for the right moment to make his move, but you would be there, knowing what to look for and knowing how to stop them. Your loyalties would be as strong as your will and to protect the nation that you love, you would protect your leader even if its from your own family. You would be allowed to become the man your mother wanted you to be instead of the twisted, dishonorable fool that your father created."

Zuko's sharp intake of breath was like a knife to Iroh's heart but he hardened it, no longer willing to soften the blows.

"But life isn't fair," he went on. "Instead, here we are. I'm a disgraced general and now traitor twice over. _My_ birthright was stolen from me by my own brother the same time my son was stolen from me by this war. I killed and destroyed for a nation that has now turned its back on me. I was angry once, too, Zuko. That, you don't remember. I never hated anyone as much as I hate your father and it wouldn't have taken much for me to strike him down. Believe me, I could have, and plunged the Fire Nation into chaos because I was in no shape to be a leader then, but I found hope in you.

"I looked at you and saw a boy who could become the kind of Fire Lord that the people needed; a man who could lead them down the right path and I thought that maybe I could make a difference this way. I've been wrong in the past and it seems I can be wrong in the present, as well."

Iroh closed his eyes as Zuko moved to sit in front of him. Hot, angry tears trailed down Iroh's cheeks but he made no sound and he refused to look at his nephew. He couldn't.

"Uncle," Zuko said quietly. "I have to do this. You told me that I could make my own destiny and I choose my place in the Fire Nation. You might have been able to choose the Avatar over it, but I can't. Not now. You have had the chance to serve the Fire Nation and have experience all its highs and lows so you can make your decision. I can't. I'm not ready to turn my back on my homeland.

"Before all this, I simply allowed my father and Azula to lead me around by the nose but this time I _choose _to play their game and because I have, I'm going to win it. Leaders have to make difficult decisions and today I made one of the most difficult ones I've ever had to make. Right now, I'm protecting the nation I love by protecting its leader...even if it's from my own family."

Iroh's eyes flew open and he stared into a face that was tight with inner turmoil...and fear. Sweat beaded Zuko's skin and even in the dim light of the cell, Iroh could see that he was not feeling well. He hated that he found some satisfaction in that.

"I didn't want to betray you," Zuko explained. "I respect you and am grateful for all that you've done for me, Uncle. Please don't think that I don't, but I have to do this. This is my path and always has been, even though you tried to show me a new one. I would never have been happy in Ba Sing Se for very long but I tried, I really did and I did it for you. But it wouldn't have been enough. There's an imbalance inside of me that I need to fix and this time, I need to do it on my own. Without you. I can't walk down your path but I will make a new one that might be somewhere in the middle of what you want and what my father wants."

With two fingers, Zuko burned a line across the crystals holding Iroh. The crystal crumbled away from the older man and he straightened, stretching his aching muscles.

"I know you're going to join the Avatar," Zuko said, standing and facing him. "I won't go after you. The next time we meet, it will be on the opposite sides of a battlefield."

Iroh looked up at his nephew's young face, at the scar that was illuminated by the single shaft of light coming in through the cell door. He stood tall even though it was clear it was taking an enormous amount of will to meet his uncle's frank gaze but pride would not let him back down one bit. Zuko reminded Iroh of Ursa then and the ice around his heart melted a little. Perhaps Zuko had learned something after all and even though he had chosen a different way, Iroh could not find fault with his reasons for doing so.

He just wished it didn't have to be this way.

With a gentleness that he didn't have to feign, Iroh put a hand on that mark that his brother had given his firstborn son.

"I will never fight you, Zuko," he said quietly but firmly. "But I hope that the next time we meet, you will have found your balance."

Head bowed low, Iroh walked past his nephew and opened the door to his cell.

"Oh, and watch your back with Azula," Iroh warned, pausing at the doorway.

"I know, Uncle," Zuko said. "Azula always lies."

Iroh nodded and without a backwards glance, he made his way down the corridor. A part of him waited for Zuko's footsteps to start coming after him...

...but they never did.

-fin-


	3. Warrior Girl

**Warrior Girl**

Toph walked with confidence, only putting out a hand once and a while to slap away an errant branch or creeping bush. The sun rose over the horizon, finally ending one of the most difficult nights of her life. She'd slept, but it had been fitful and she was more tired now than she was before she went to sleep.

Aang's groans and Katara's constant movement from her bedding to where he laid had kept her awake. Toph had wanted to tell her to just lie next to him but she'd bitten her tongue, not wanting to cause either of them anymore pain than was necessary. Katara seemed intent on keeping her distance from them all and Toph could understand that she needed her space. As for Aang...no one seemed to want to go near him other than Appa. He was too injured, too broken and this frightened all of them.

The fear had made Toph curl up into a ball and hide herself behind a thick slab of earth but there was no hiding from her own thoughts and imaginings if Aang didn't make it through the night. Anxiety filled her nightmares with fire, blood and the deaths of all those she loved. For the first time in her young life, Toph was truly afraid of the future that was waiting for her and the ground beneath her feet was not as steady as it once was. She didn't know what to do because she'd never felt like this before—so hopeless and lost. Her spirit was as injured as the Avatar she followed and she needed it mended fast before it was time to fight again. She needed to be steady to be able to fight and defend her friends. The knot in her gut and the weight on her shoulders had no place on the battlefield.

The gentle, steady rumble of the river flow reached Toph before its sounds did and Sokka's familiar heartbeat beckoned to her before his heavy sighs did. As short and idiotic as her capture had been, there'd been moments when she let the fear take hold and it was no surprise that she'd wished he was at her side. Being reunited with him had made her feel whole and safe—even though she was now undoubtedly one of the most powerful benders in the world. It was a different kind of safe. The kind that soothed her often riotous thoughts and softened her more stubborn impulses. It was the kind of safe that let her feel...and put what was broken back together again.

She needed that now.

So as to not frighten him, Toph kicked a small pebble at Sokka and allowed herself a small smile when he reacted with a characteristic flare of temper. She didn't have to see to know that he was rubbing his head and looking around to see who had done it.

"Good morning to you, too, Toph," Sokka said irritatedly.

"Good morning," she said. "Catch any breakfast yet?"

"A while ago," he replied as she started to sit next to him and he silently removed the fish she was about to sit on. "Is anyone else up yet?"

"No. Katara was almost up the whole night taking care of Aang and the Earth King is out like a light. You wouldn't think he'd be able to sleep after what happened today but considering how his kingdom's been run...I guess we shouldn't be surprised."

"Can't blame the guy," Sokka said with a shrug. "It's not like he knew there was anything else he could do."

There was a flatness in his voice that made Toph tilt her head inquisitively.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

"Seriously?" he snorted.

"I mean, besides what happened. What's wrong with you?"

Toph heard him blow out a breath and take in a deep one as if he were steadying himself. She could feel his heart beating fast and the restless tapping of his finger on the ground.

"I saw my Dad. Did I tell you that?" he said slowly.

"No."

"He looks a lot older now than he did when he left, but stronger, too. He invented this bomb that sinks Fire Nation ships and he was going to use them to protect Ba Sing Se from the incoming navy. I didn't want to tell Katara because she had enough to worry about with Aang and he's the priority right now. Anyway, Dad probably already met the Fire Nation and fought with them by now," Sokka swallowed hard. "I just want to know if he's okay."

Toph put a hand on his, stopping his now frantic tapping. "Sokka..." she stopped, brow furrowed thoughtfully when the words she knew he needed to hear got stuck in her throat.

"Aren't you going to tell me he's going to be alright?" he said tightly, almost accusingly. "Aren't you going to say that we'll see each other again when this is all over and Aang saves the world?"

Tears burned in Toph's sightless eyes. She couldn't say those words because suddenly it was hard to believe that anything would be right again. She lifted her hand from his and wiped at her tears, angry at herself for letting them fall at all. At that moment, she wasn't the greatest Earthbender in the world; she was a twelve year old girl who needed comfort, if only for a little while.

Perhaps seeking out her safety net hadn't been such a good idea after all.

"Yeah," she said, starting to stand. "All that."

But this time, he gripped her hand in his and tugged her back down. It took only another tug to have her in his arms, her face pressed against his shoulder.

"I've never seen you cry before. You're a rock, Toph. A warrior girl. I didn't think you ever cried," he said softly as he patted her back gently. "But it's okay. You need to be able to let it out now or else you might let it out when you shouldn't and crush me under a boulder or something."

"I shouldn't be the one crying," she said, struggling to stop. "You're worried about your Dad. I should be comforting you."

"Don't get me wrong, you have a lot of great things going for you, but you're about as comforting as a pebble in my boot."

Toph let out a snort of laughter even as she cried. Sokka held her at arm's length and mopped up her tears with the bottom of his tunic.

"Don't tell anyone," she sniffed.

Sokka wiped his own eyes. "Only if you don't."

-fin-


	4. Azula Alone

**Azula Alone**

Azula had always risen with the sun. For as long as she could remember, she'd felt it rising over the horizon, the heat racing through her veins before she even opened her eyes. That first surge of power was intoxicating and she reveled in it. She welcomed each new day with a smile and she welcomed this particular day with a big one.

Throwing back her covers—formerly the Earth King's covers—she padded to the wash basin and splashed some water on her face. Even as she went through her morning routine, her mind was racing with what had to be done that day. The Fire Nation ships were arriving later that morning, unless the pesky Water Tribe peasants held them up longer than expected, and she had to secure the city before their arrival. The last thing they needed was a riot within the walls and a battle ruining a perfectly good city for her to rule.

With the same efficiency she used in everything else, Azula dressed herself and fastened her armor. She hated having maids help her dress because they took too long with their fussing and straightening. Smirking, she remembered that Zuko took the opposing view, using up an almost obscene amount of time to put his on. It was a good thing she hadn't offered any for him to wear. He wasn't quite ready for it yet anyway and she made a mental note to tell him that he looked great in Earth Kingdom colors.

Her brother was just as malleable and temperamental as she remembered. He would be even easier to control now that their Uncle was out of the way. It was a shame she wasn't the firstborn child because then, she doubted he would have been this much of an annoyance. Zuko would fall in line, as he always did, but with less pomp and circumstance, and everyone would be happy. At least this whole episode got her out of the Fire Nation for a little while and away from her handlers and so-called councilors. And she managed to take down the Earth Kingdom while she was at it.

Azula was sure her father would be more than a little pleased that she managed to capture the two traitors _and _Ba Sing Se in a day. If that wasn't enough to convince him that she was the Fire Nation's rightful heir...well he would find out the hard way if she didn't get what she deserved. She enjoyed being alone at the top and she was good at it. It only took her a few days to convince the Dai Li to switch loyalties and it will take her less than a day to bring Ba Sing Se under her absolute rule.

There would be no one outranking her, no one to give her orders, and the thought made her grin. Even her father had to listen to his councilors and his generals, but she alone would be making the decisions here. All she needed to do was make sure Zuko didn't step out of line but she knew how to play her brother. She'd been doing it for years.

Zuko was already in the Earth King's personal study when she entered, sitting behind the desk and in a direct shaft of sunlight. He would have made a dramatic picture if he didn't look so...scruffy. His shaggy hair was in disarray and he sat slouched on the desk chair, one elbow propped up on the arm and his chin resting in his hand. His breakfast sat in front of him, the plate still full, though she could see by the way the food had been worried, he'd given it a try. He hadn't even touched the now cold cup of tea sitting near his left hand.

Although the reason for that may have been more than a loss of appetite.

Azula studied his worn face and deduced that he barely got any sleep the night before. That was to be expected. She was sure he was fraught with guilt and worry about their uncle. She never did understand his attachment to the old man, but then again, no one else had volunteered to join him in exile. She supposed she would have been a little fond of Iroh as well...if she'd been the one stupid enough to get exiled in the first place. She started to ask what was wrong—more out of curiosity than any real concern for his health—but he beat her to the punch.

"Uncle escaped," he said without looking at her.

"And how did he manage _that_, Zuko?"

Azula's eyes gleamed dangerously and her hands curled into fists when he didn't answer. With measured strides, she went to stand in front of her brother and she glowered down at him. Zuko avoided her gaze but didn't seem the least bit concerned that he was close to getting a bolt of lightning shot at his head.

"You tell me, Azula," he replied idly, his tone slightly mocking. "You're the brains here so why don't you figure it out and let me know."

His eyes flickered up at her and she was startled to find steel in his gaze. He was looking up at her and she looking down, but Azula got the impression that it was really the other way around. One side of his mouth curved upward, his expression was arrogant as he challenged her. She saw then that his demeanor had been an act. He hadn't been lost in his thoughts when she'd entered the study, hadn't been sulking or wallowing in guilt—he'd been waiting. For her.

"While you puzzle it out, I think I'm going to get started securing Ba Sing Se," he said. "There are too many Earthbenders walking around in this city who can make things a little difficult for us."

"As impressive as your army of one is, I don't think you'll be able to lockdown an entire city on your own."

"I had a little talk with the Dai Li this morning," he said, rising from his seat with a lazy grace. "Some will be accompanying me to the lower rings while a few will stay here to ensure the security of the palace."

"The Dai Li don't answer to you."

"Fear and intimidation are your weapons, but I've got a few of my own."

Zuko swept past her, his poorly made Earth Kingdom robes making a racket but his footsteps were silent. There was no mistaking the determination in his face and seeing it there irritated Azula to no end. She sucked in a breath through her teeth and closed her eyes. She thought she'd planned it all out, but this side of Zuko was one she hadn't expected. She'd been able to handle his temper tantrums and his clumsy attempts at political strategy, because underneath it all had been a yawning chasm where his confidence should have been. Apparently, he'd managed to fill it since the last time they'd met. False bravado or not, she didn't have time to pander to his delusions.

There was no room at the top for two leaders. Adjustments would have to be made. Azula worked best alone and if she had to dispose of her brother, then she was willing to make those sacrifices.

-fin-


End file.
